How to Pray, Part 2

By Robb Brunansky

Published September 22, 2025

As we observed in our last post, the content of our prayers reflects what we believe about God and how we relate to Him. At the opening of The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples to address God as “Father,” which is a term of intimacy, close fellowship, and profound love, marking His protection, provision and care. The term also recognizes the purpose of coming to the Lord is to obediently acknowledge His glory, honor, and greatness.

In this term, too, we see that a key reason God calls us to pray is for the purpose of fellowship. As Christians grow in spiritual maturity, so, too, will our enjoyment of God’s fellowship. We should want to spend time with the Lord because we desire to interact and talk with Him, share our hearts and joys with Him, praise His name, and thank Him for His kindness. When Jesus teaches us to say “Father” in prayer, He helps us understand that prayer is about fellowship and communion with our heavenly Father.

Christ moves on to list five requests – two pertaining to God and three to our needs (Luke 11: 2-4). In this post, we’ll consider the first two requests. These petitions remove man from the equation, shifting the emphasis to God, and His honor and glory. When we look at these first two requests, we see something else very significant about prayer, which is that the content should be focused on God’s glory, not our needs. God’s glory must be our highest aim in prayer when we consider the content of our prayers.

The first petition Jesus, then, gives us is, “Hallowed Be Your Name” (verse 2).

This petition involves two key thoughts: the holiness and name of God. We need this reminder that we are speaking to the holy God –the one Isaiah saw and cried out, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!” There should be a weightiness, gravity, and sense of wonder and awe to our prayers when we approach the presence of the Triune God, who is thrice holy.

It might be interesting to readers that Jesus refers to the name of God here, not simply to the Father Himself. The pages of Scripture have much to proclaim about the significance of God’s name, and we need look no further than the third commandment given on Mount Sinai: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7) God gives this command because His name is not merely a title but refers to all the Lord is in His self-revelation. God’s name represents Him and all His attributes and works.

We know God has revealed Himself using many names. The term Elohim refers to God’s strength or power and might, and He shows Himself to His people as the omnipotent one. The name Jehovah or Yahweh means something like the self-existent One; I AM THAT I AM, the covenant name of God, whereby He reveals His independence and self-sufficiency. He is the God who has no needs outside of Himself.

Attached to this name are many other terms throughout Scripture to elaborate on God’s nature:

• Jehovah-Jireh: Lord who provides
• Jehovah-Rapha: Lord who heals
• Jehovah-Nissi: The Lord is my banner
• Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord is our peace
• Jehovah-Ra’ah: The Lord our Shepherd
• Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord our Righteousness

There are many other names, such as Immanuel and Jesus, the Lord is salvation, and so on. God has thus revealed Himself to us in all these names that represent Him and tell us of His holiness, glory, power, might, perfections, and all He is for us in Christ. So, the prayer starts with the essence of, ‘Father, let Your name be reverenced! Let Your name be treated as holy! Let who You are be known, adored, worshiped, and set apart!’

Readers will notice this request is absolute. It is not limited to one spere or another but encompasses everyone and everything, that God would exalt His name throughout all He has made. This request, not only spans to every corner of creation, but encompasses all God is. As such, we can meditate on God’s names and pray we would realize them, adore who He is, honor Him with our trust, extend these thoughts from ourselves to all believers, and pray for His just judgment to fall on those who refuse to bow the knee to His holy name. So, many prayers can flow from this one simple request. Pray God’s name would be hallowed.

The second petition Jesus gives us is, “Your Kingdom come” (verse 2).

Here, we look at God’s kingdom and its coming into the world, reminding us the One we address as Father is also our King. God is worthy of our obedience and submission as our King; we are His sons and daughters, but we are also His servants. We are also reminded of God’s sovereignty through this prayer. This reflection serves to relieve our anxieties and fears so that when everything seems broken in our world, we remember our God still reigns as king and is presently working to advance His kingdom.

So, how should we understand this kingdom and its coming. We must first recognize that when Jesus came, He brought the kingdom of God. Yet, we also know there is a future, if not multiple future elements to this kingdom. The kingdom is already here now with Christ’s death and resurrection and sending of His Spirit. However, the kingdom is yet to be realized by Christ’s return.

When we make this petition, we pray that God would advance His kingdom in this world and that His kingdom would become greater. The answer to this request is found as we submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, recognizing that He is our King and that we are called to worship, obey, and serve Him as dutiful subjects. We also see the kingdom advancing as the gospel goes forward, and sinners are rescued from the domain of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Son of God (Colossians 1:13). Additionally, we want to see the Lord’s rule reflected in other spheres of life. All New Testament prayers flow from the truths of this one prayer!

We are also praying for something future, which is the fulfillment of the kingdom at Christ’s coming. Our DNA as Christians is to desire for the kingdom of darkness to be overthrown, Satan to be cast away from the earth and his rule ended, and God to establish His kingdom throughout all the earth. This prayer is nothing less than the cry of justified sinners, God’s elect, for the Lord to bring about justice speedily on the earth (Luke 18:7).

This request is therefore a check on our hearts as well as a plea for God’s glorious kingdom to spread throughout creation. It reminds us of our obligations and duty toward our King. We are reminded of the ongoing war between the kingdoms of God and Satan, that people are in one of these two kingdoms, with eternal ramifications. It helps wean our affections from the present world and for Christ’s glorious kingdom. What a glorious hope, marvelous promise, and joyful duty!

In Matthew’s Gospel, not too long after teaching the disciples The Lord’s Prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). This statement is another reminder that we are to seek first our Lord’s kingdom even in our prayers. As such, let us be a people marked by prayer that begins with a focus on the holiness of our great God, for His name and kingdom.